Last year, Albuquerque Public Schools said it was impossible to tell if technology would work for their schools. It’s a strange statement, considering Target 7 discovered three APS schools use similar technology.

Student safety in schools is an enormous concern, so many school district take extra precautions to make sure sex offenders don’t get near children.

In Espanola, schools started using the LobbyGuard sex offender detector. Before anyone is allowed on campus, a security guard runs visitors’ driver’s licenses through the machine, which taps into a national sex offender database. Anyone on that database is booted from campus with no exceptions.

The system works. Schools caught at least 14 sex offenders in just one year.

Eighty miles away in New Mexico’s largest school district, Target 7 asked APS in October if it would ever consider using a similar technology.

“I feel comfortable saying the administration and board would be open to exploring a product like this, but it's impossible to guess under what circumstances that would happen,” Executive Director Monica Armenta told Target 7 in a statement back in October.

But there’s no need to guess, because APS already uses the machines at Manzano High School, Cibola High School and Chelwood Elementary School. In fact, Manzano has used the machine for seven years.

APS police Lt. Allan Rider said it’s not a foolproof way to protect the campus, but it certainly helps.

“It’s just another layer of security that I think could be valuable for some schools,” Rider said.

But the question remains – Why didn’t APS know they had this technology back in October during Target 7’s initial inquiry?

Target 7: We want to know if you think having those sex offender detectors in all the schools would be a good idea?

Brooks: I don't even know anything about the program.

Target 7: Did you know APS had it?

Brooks: Other than through the media.

“You asked earlier, were you surprised to find out 3 schools had this system? Absolutely,” Armenta said.

Armenta said in October she emailed APS police, the district’s chief operation officer and all associate principals, passing along Target 7’s questions about the technology. She said the one person who knew the answer was on extended medical leave. The problem is, she didn’t ask him until Target 7 discovered the machine in use at Manzano High School.

“Do the administrators know every program in the district? We don’t,” Armenta said.

She said another reason they didn’t know three schools had the technology was because at least two of them paid for it out of individual school funds.

Parents told Target 7 the apparent disconnect is alarming.

“That’s kind of concerning ,” parent Felicia Lopez said. “How do you not know you have it, yet it's in schools?”

There’s no talk yet of putting the machines in all the schools because money and staffing are issues.

Unlike Espanola Schools, APS said it does not keep track of how many sex offenders the machines catch. APS also doesn’t boot sex offenders off its campuses, they simply make sure those people have school escorts at all times.

APS said Highland High School was also outfitted with the machine, but it’s unclear if it was ever used.

The machines cost less than $2,000 to purchase and set up, and it’s about $400 a year to maintain.

IT'S KNOWN AS A "SEX OFFENDER DETECTOR." A MACHINE USED BY SOME NEW MEXICO SCHOOLS.... TO SCREEN VISITORS BEFORE THEY'RE ALLOWED IN. LAST YEAR, A-P-S TOLD US--- IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL IF A TECHNOLOGY LIKE THIS, WOULD WORK FOR THEIR SCHOOLS. A STRANGE STATEMENT.... CONSIDERING WHAT TARGET 7'S LAUREN ZAKALIK HAS DISCOVERED. OUR STUDENTS' SAFETY IN SCHOOL IS AN ENORMOUS CONCERN. couldnt think about something bad happening to them or any other child SO FOR MANY DISTRICTS, THAT MEANS TAKING EXTRA PRECAUTIONS... TO MAKE SURE SEX OFFENDERS DON'T GET NEAR OUR KIDS. with sex offenders, we feel like they could always potentially re-offend THAT'S WHY SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKE ESPANOLA--- STARTED USING THESE MACHINES. THEY'RE SEX OFFENDER DETECTORS... THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS CALLED LOBBYGUARD. WE FIRST TOLD YOU ABOUT IT BACK IN NOVEMBER. nat of ripping of the pass thank you ma'am BEFORE YOU'RE ALLOWED ON CAMPUS HERE AT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, A SECURITY GUARD RUNS YOUR DRIVERS LICENSES THROUGH THE MACHINE, WHICH TAPS INTO A NATIONAL SEX OFFENDER DATABASE. IF YOU'RE ON THAT DATABASE, YOU'RE BOOTED FROM CAMPUS... NO EXCEPTIONS. AND IT WORKS. THEY CAUGHT AT LEAST 14 SEX OFFENDERS IN JUST ONE YEAR. i actually think its a great idea! 80 MILES AWAY, IN NEW MEXICO'S LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT-- A-P-S PARENTS REMAIN OPEN TO THE IDEA... ECSTATIC ABOUT IT, EVEN. yeah, definitely a smart thing, yeah SO WE ASKED A-P-S BACK IN OCTOBER IF THEY'D EVER CONSIDER A TECHNOLOGY LIKE THIS. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS MONICA ARMENTA SENT US THIS MESSAGE BACK THEN: "I feel comfortable saying the administration and board would be open to exploring a product like this, but it's impossible to guess under what circumstances that would happen." well, there's no need to guess. Because-- guess what-- APS already uses these machines. I figured that out when I saw one of them with my own eyes here at Manzano HS 3 of our 142 schools it turns out do in fact use this program MANZANO AND CIBOLA HIGH SCHOOLS.. AND CHELWOOD ELEMENTARY. THE MACHINE GOES BY A DIFFERENT NAME HERE-- RAPTOR-- BUT IT DOES THE EXACT SAME THING AS THE ONE IN ESPANOLA. IN FACT, MANZANO'S USED IT FOR SEVEN YEARS! A-P-S POLICE LT. ALLAN RIDER SAYS IT'S NOT A FOOL-PROOF WAY TO PROTECT YOUR CAMPUS ... BUT IT CERTAINLY HELPS. its just another layer of security that i think could be valuable for some schools BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS... WHY DIDN'T A-P-S KNOW THEY HAD THIS TECHNOLOGY BACK IN OCTOBER... WHEN WE ORIGINALLY ASKED? i've been trying to catch you all day, it's two quick questions-- no, no. WE ASKED SUPERINTENDENT WINSTON BROOKS LAST WEEK... WHEN WE COULDN'T GET HIM ON THE PHONE, WE WENT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. we want to know if you think having those sex offender detectors in all the schools would be a good idea? Uhhh I don't even know anything about the program :16 did you know APS had it :19 uhh, other than through the media SOT you asked earlier, were you surprised to find out 3 schools had this system? absolutely. MONICA ARMENTA SAYS IN OCTOBER SHE E-MAILED A-P-S POLICE, THE DISTRICT'S CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, AND ALL ASSOCIATE PRINCIPALS-- PASSING ALONG MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY. SHE SAYS THE ONE PERSON WHO KNEW THE ANSWER, WAS ON EXTENDED MEDICAL LEAVE ... PROBLEM IS-- SHE DIDN'T ASK HIM UNTIL I MADE THE DISCOVERY AT MANZANO. do the administrators know every program in the district? we don't SHE SAYS ANOTHER REASON THEY DIDN'T KNOW THREE SCHOOLS HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY-- WAS BECAUSE AT LEAST TWO OF THEM, PAY FOR IT-- OUT OF INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL FUNDS. thats kinda concerning PARENTS SAY THE APPARENT DISCONNECT... IS ALARMING. how do you not know you have it, yet it's in schools THERE'S NO TALK YET OF PUTTING THEM IN ALL THE SCHOOLS-- MONEY, AND SOMEONE TO MAN THE MACHINES, ARE AN ISSUE. BUT THESE ALBUQUERQUE PARENTS HAPPY TO KNOW... AT LEAST... SOME OF THEIR KIDS HAVE THAT EXTRA PROTECTION. NOW, UNLIKE ESPANOLA SCHOOLS, A-P-S TELLS ME IT DOES NOT KEEP TRACK OF HOW MANY SEX OFFENDERS THE MACHINES CATCH. ALSO UNLIKE ESPANOLA... A-P-S DOES NOT BOOT SEX OFFENDERS OFF ITS CAMPUSES.... THEY SIMPLY MAKE SURE THOSE PEOPLE HAVE SCHOOL ESCORTS WITH THEM AT ALL TIMES. SHELLY? A-P-S SAYS HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOL WAS ALSO OUTFITTED WITH THE MACHINE... BUT IT'S UNCLEAR IF IT WAS EVER USED. THE MACHINES COST LESS THAN 2-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO PURCHASE AND SET UP... AND IT'S ABOUT 400 DOLLARS A YEAR TO MAINTAIN.